


no sweeter innocence (than our gentle sin)

by gingergenower



Series: doctor/mafia au [5]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I'M SORRY IT'S TEN MONTHS LATE I'M SO SORRY, M/M, Mafia!Magnus, Romance, but with feelings, doctor!alec, ok this chapter is basically just talking and bow chicka wow wow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-14 02:53:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20593487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingergenower/pseuds/gingergenower
Summary: It’s as though he’s waiting for Alec to decide what this is going to be- and Alec doesn’t know how to seduce. He doesn’t know how to make someone want him, but god,he knows what he wants.





	no sweeter innocence (than our gentle sin)

**Author's Note:**

> title taken from [take me to church](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVjiKRfKpPI) by hozier

Hands in his pockets, Alec will feel his phone buzz with any new messages. Having his fingers curled around it stops him from checking compulsively every few minutes for a text from Izzy.

It’s the only compromise he could come to with himself - he’s been sleeping on her couch the last couple of days, and when she was discharged from the hospital she went straight to their mom’s place; this is her first night alone. He can’t bear the idea that she won’t be able to reach him if she needs him, skin crawling with worry he can’t satisfy because he knows he can’t intrude on her. It’s important for her recovery that they let her take these steps at her own pace, but Alec’s been the devoted big brother neither of them have needed him to be for years and he hasn’t thought about anything except her since he finished his Christmas shift.

He’s _restless_.

Pacing endlessly around his block because he promised he wouldn’t linger around hers, nervous energy thrumming in his bloodstream and his brain, he wants to be near her and that’s the opposite of what she asked him to do. What she needs of him goes against every instinct he has.

He’s going so fast he almost passes the alleyway outside his building- but, stood just inside it, cast in sharp shadow by the too-low winter sunlight, is an upright figure.

Alec squints, hesitant.

Arms wrapped around his chest, the elegant line of Magnus is leaning back to the wall. He doesn’t look when Alec steps closer- head tilted up, resting against the brick, his gaze is steady on the wall opposite- but the corner of his mouth does turn up faintly.

“Hello, Alexander.”

“Hey,” Alec says.

“I went to Ragnor.” Magnus’ voice is light, betraying no emotion in his stillness, but his eyes narrow slightly, thoughtful. “At least, I think I did. Officially he was only ever a missing person. They never found him, and I can’t remember exactly where he is.”

The friend. The one Magnus shot.

“Have you ever gone before?”

“No.” Magnus smiles. “It is possible I cried over the wrong patch of dirt.”

Alec doesn’t know what to say. He can't quantify anything he wants to say in a few sentences- that he doesn’t understand the specific sharpness of the edges of his pain, but Alec does know suffering, acute and vicious. He doesn’t even know how to offer comfort, to say_ you don’t have to pretend_, you don’t have to act like this is anything less than it is.

There’s so much between them now.

Content in the quiet, absentminded in the cold, Magnus rubs his arms. His smile fades. “Did you have a good Christmas?”

Their mom’s apartment isn’t physically big enough for four adults. It’s a fact of living uptown in a two-bed apartment- it's rowdy in the kitchen in the morning and there were childish squabbles over an acceptable usage of hot water in the shower and if their mom hadn’t labelled them all there would have been a number of incidents of present-theft. She told them off for it, but they all could tell she loved it. The apartment was full with music and laughter and her children; they’d all missed each other.

When Clary and Simon and Luke joined them, Alec was more comfortable watching than partaking, smiling into his drink as Izzy and Clary teased Jace and Simon point-blank refused to risk pitting himself against the combined will of his childhood best friend and his girlfriend. Through the partly-opened door to the kitchen, Alec could see Luke and his mom standing close to each other, deep in conversation about something.

None of them ask him to be more than he is. It’s the happiest he can remember being in a long, long time.

“Yes,” Alec says, voice catching with emotion. “I did, actually.”

“I’m glad,” Magnus says, finally looking at Alec. His eyes linger, warm and kind as he regards Alec, and then, too knowing, he turns back to the wall. “You must be doing something special tonight.”

“I was going to go to bed early.”

“It’s New Year’s, Alexander,” Magnus says, the faintest reprimand.

“Yeah, well. My shift starts at 5am tomorrow,” Alec says, shrugging. He hardly needs to spend it with his own family. They already know he’s theirs; for the next year, for the rest of his life. “What’re your plans?”

“I have none,” Magnus says. He glances back down the alleyway, into the darkness Alec can’t make shapes out of, before he smiles wryly and straightens up, pulling his jacket to neatness. “I’m not sure why I came here. I shouldn’t have.”

He moves to walk away but Alec steps in front of him, impulsive and a little desperate.

Magnus stops, eyes flicking over Alec’s expression.

“Do you…” Alec swallows, clinging to some semblance of composure, even if it’s only a pretence neither of them believe “…want to come up for a drink?”

It’s obvious it’s not what Alec’s truly asking; Magnus hesitates. Not quite meeting Alec’s eye, he ducks his head- and there’s so much unsaid between the two of them, words messy and inaccurate anyway- and if Alec doesn’t try he may never have the opportunity to say any of it.

So, he takes another step. He holds the lapels of Magnus’ jacket and his eyes fall to Magnus’ lips before he meets his gaze.

Magnus blinks at him, uncertain. Hands resting on Alec’s chest, he doesn’t attempt to pull back or push him away. He doesn’t say anything. It’s as though he’s waiting for Alec to decide what this is going to be- and Alec doesn’t know how to seduce. He doesn’t know how to make someone want him, but god,_ he knows what he wants_.

Ever so gently, he touches his parted lips to Magnus’ closed ones.

Magnus inhales sharply through his nose and kisses him back, trying to match Alec’s sweetness with his own steadiness- but when Alec presses deeper, still slow and careful, Magnus’ fingers curl with no purchase into the material of Alec’s coat. It’s like he’s helpless, it’s nothing like their first kiss, and he makes a small noise in the back of his throat, dragging Alec closer.

Both of them are breathless when the kiss breaks, and Alec strokes Magnus’ cheek.

“Please, Magnus,” he whispers. “Stay.”

Eyes still closed, Magnus’ breathing comes out shaky.

He’s afraid of Alec dying. He’s afraid of so few choices there are no good ones and unmarked graves and years of regret, of losing love to the violence that dictates his life. Alec understands the specifics of his fear, but Alec knows the choices he’s making, and he doesn’t regret them.

Calmly, surely, Alec signs the DNR and hands it over, holding out his hand for Magnus to take.

Magnus takes it.

Leading him inside, Alec kisses the back of his hand as they walk. The quiet between them is peaceful; the whirring of machinery, the clunk of the elevator doors, footsteps and the key clicking in the lock and their breathing. Magnus shuts the door behind them, and Alec finally lets go of his hand to head into the kitchen, making them both coffee.

It’s just instant, the kind of crap Alec downs after shifts and most of his neighbours would be ashamed to be in the same building as, but Magnus accepts his cup and says nothing about it. Holding it close to his chest with both hands, he leans his hip against the counter.

Sipping the drink carefully, Magnus keeps to himself. He seems deep in thought, not lost in it, so Alec gives him time.

It’s a privilege he’s had the last few days; to consider the consequences of his choices, and be sure he really means them. Magnus didn’t even know why he came here. Alec thinks it might take him another coffee, stood in his kitchen in the dim lamplight, but he's only half finished when Magnus speaks.

“When I ended up in that alleyway, Raphael too far away to help… it wasn’t a surprise to me,” Magnus says. He’s precise about his wording, wetting his lips as he hesitates to say it out loud. “I suppose... I always thought I’d die in the gutter.”

Alec closes his eyes for a moment, saying nothing. It hurts.

“It wouldn’t even be the worst way to die,” Magnus murmurs, but when his eyes find Alec again something shifts as they focus, as though looking at Alec is the first time he’s seen the room. “It didn’t occur to me the city I was dying for might try to save me in return.”

Under the intensity of Magnus’ gaze- fondness, sincerity, vulnerability Alec knows means _trust_\- Alec doesn’t know what to say.

At Alec’s expression, Magnus smiles and shakes his head slightly, like he doesn’t need Alec to try to respond or return anything he feels. Like he thinks Alec is a hero. Like he thinks he isn’t.

Putting his cup aside on the counter and taking Magnus’ to do the same without taking his eyes off him, Alec steps forward.

Magnus’ eyes flutter shut as Alec’s thumbs stroke down his cheekbones, and Alec presses his lips to his forehead, his eyelids, his cheek. His breath hitches, hands holding Alec’s waist; Alec smiles, kissing his mouth. On the third press of his lips, Magnus responds, passivity becoming activity, pulling Alec back towards the couch he bandaged Magnus up on the first day they met.

They go slow. Clothes litter the floor, words whispered to make sure they’re on the same page, each holding the other like they’re fragile even though it’s not that at all, and they both know it.

Magnus wants Alec to feel safe. Alec wants Magnus to feel loved.

Guiding Magnus back into the cushions and settling to kneel between his legs, Alec balances on forearms either side of his head and kisses him deeply. It’s nothing more complicated than skin on skin, clinging to each other and Alec rocking his hips and Magnus’ face buried in Alec’s neck, but it doesn’t need to be anything else.

When Alec knows Magnus is close, he wants to draw it out. He captures Magnus’ panting lips in a kiss- Magnus returning it, hand trembling as it holds Alec’s cheek, ankles locked behind Alec’s back- and grinds down harder. He wants this to last but he can feel Magnus trying to beg without words; please, Alexander. _Please_-

They come together, the kiss breaking to breathe, and Alec drops half on the narrow strip of couch next to Magnus and half on top of him. Even as he’s shaking, he brushes damp hair off Magnus’ forehead to kiss him there.

“You ok?” he asks, and Magnus blinks at him, dazed.

Nodding slowly, he closes his eyes again, turning to cuddle into Alec’s chest.

They come down from the high in increments, trying to catch their breath, and neither of them move until Alec has enough presence of mind to want a shower. He backs off the couch and stands up, stretching, but he pauses when Magnus doesn't quite look at him as he sits up, fiddling with one of his rings.

After too long a moment, Alec kneels on the floor between his legs. His fingers touching the back of Magnus’ hand is enough to stop him fidgeting, and he meets Alec’s eye.

His golden skin glows, eyeliner smudged, hair a mess. He’s beautiful.

Alec kisses him again, trying to tell him not to be afraid, that Alec isn’t. When Magnus responds, tugging him closer, Alec pulls him to standing, abandoning their clothes on the floor and leading him to the ensuite.

The shower stall’s too small for both of them- the tiled floor ends up half flooded- but they choose not to care, Magnus’ breath on his cheek as he huffs a laugh, catching when Alec’s lips slide down his throat, fingers trying for purchase on wet skin.

There’s a game of rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets the left-hand side of the bed Alec wins, and Magnus curls up close to him, murmuring that the punishment for it is that Magnus is going to sleep on that side anyway. Alec doesn’t mind. He drifts off and wakes first, the light outside dimming, and he’s only sure Magnus is awake when lips press between his shoulder blades.

“Good morning, Alexander,” he says, kissing up Alec’s spine and his hairline.

Alec reaches back to cup Magnus’ cheek, still half asleep, eyes still closed. “It’s not even night yet.”

“‘It was the nightingale, not the lark’,” Magnus quotes, and Alec smiles at the flashback to AP Lit, rolling in Magnus’ arms to face him.

“You’ve memorised Shakespeare.”

“Some,” Magnus admits, propping himself up on his elbow above Alec. “‘How is ’t, my soul?’”

Alec pauses, trying to translate or think of the next line, but he can’t do either with Magnus’ unwavering gaze on him. Rising up to meet his lips, Alec drops back into the pillows and pulls Magnus with him.

They’re unhurried, Alec’s fingers running through in his shower-tangled hair, Magnus humming against his mouth. After a while- Magnus’ lips moving to Alec’s jaw, down his arched throat- Magnus slows, mind somewhere other than the bed, and Alec lets him pull back. He waits for Magnus to articulate himself, drawing shapes on his arm.

“I.” He ducks his head, looks back up, eyes serious. “I want to thank you, Alexander. For the day we met.”

“You already thanked me,” Alec reminds him, but Magnus shakes his head.

“I wasn’t thanking you for my life then,” he says, swallowing. “And I am now.”

Breath caught in his throat, Alec stops. He wants to say he’ll be there every time, but he won’t. He wants to offer thanks in return, but he doesn’t. Instead, he nods, reaching up to hold him with both hands. “You’re _welcome_, Magnus.”

Magnus blinks, eyes too bright with tears, about to speak- but they both freeze at a distant, door-muffled click.

They both scramble upright as the apartment door opens, but Alec grabs Magnus’ arm and signals to stop his panic at the voice that calls out.

“Hello! Alec?”

He gave Izzy a key a long time ago.

Rubbing his face, Alec rolls out of bed as Magnus drops back into it, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. They’re both breathing hard, heartbeats kicked up by adrenaline, and Alec calls through to tell her he won’t be a minute.

He grabs sweats and a t-shirt out of his drawers, still pulling the t-shirt on and trying to calm himself down as he shuts the bedroom door behind him.

Squinting one eye at him in regret, Izzy winces at him from the doorway. “Sorry. I thought you’d go to bed at seven or eight, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t wake me up,” Alec reassures her, breathing normal even if his heart’s still thumping in his chest.

Unwinding her scarf but not making any move to actually come in- she usually commandeers his armchair, shoes kicked off and legs crossed- Izzy exhales, relieved. “Ok. Just so you know- mom called, she wanted me to remind you to send her your rota for this month so she can organise something for the end of January. She's thinking maybe a big family dinner slash lunch slash breakfast, depending on when you and Luke are free.”

Alec raises an eyebrow. “So Luke's getting an invite, is he?”

“She wants to start inviting ‘extended family’,” Izzy says, her fingers in exaggerated, sarcastic air quotes. “Like Clary. And if _Clary’s_ coming, Luke might as well too…”

“Hmm,” Alec says, not committing to any particular reaction, but when he meets her eye she’s as knowing as he feels. It’s like she forgets she raised them to pay attention to the people they love.

As if they could have missed their own mom falling in love.

“Anyway,” Izzy says, like she has something else to say, taking a step forward. “I just wanted...”

She trails off, distracted by something across the room, and Alec doesn’t see whatever makes her face split into an ecstatic grin.

“Alec…” she says, and he realises she’s pointing at the floor, where they left a trail of clothes, and she takes a few steps forward to check they are what she _thinks_ they are. She starts mouthing at him furiously, pointing at the bedroom door behind Alec, saying something along the lines of ‘is someone _in there_?’, with the tone of ‘_oh my god!’_.

Alec stares at the ceiling, playing at irritation. Mostly, he’s amused, because no, he doesn’t do dating and he hasn’t had sex in months and his family never asks about his love life because there’s nothing to say, but he doesn’t need his baby sister pointing any of that out.

When turns back to her, she’s trying not to laugh.

Lowering her voice to barely above whispering like it’s high school gossip, Izzy’s utterly gleeful. “Is it _coincidence_ that you’re spending New Year’s together, or is it serious?”

“Both?” Alec’s voice is even quieter than hers, and he shrugs, wrapping his arms around himself. “He just turned up, but. It’s serious for me.”

“Alec…” Izzy blinks, surprised. “What about him?”

Shaking his head, both to say he doesn’t know and that he hasn’t asked, Alec feels a little unsteady under her pity. He sighs. “Anyway. What are you doing here, Iz?”

“Hey, no, Alec-”

“Isabelle.”

She tries to stare him down, but he’s always been better at severity than her and she relents, rolling her eyes and folding her arms. “I just… I want to prove to myself I can walk home. On my own. But, I-”

Alec waits, watching her carefully. He thinks verbalising it is more difficult for her than actually asking, she so rarely says what she needs out loud.

“I just. Can I text you? When I get there?”

They’ve both already downloaded Find My Friends- he can watch her walk home, if she wants- and it takes Alec a second to realise she’s asking him not to. She wants to be completely alone.

She wants to _feel_ it.

Alec pulls her close and kisses her hair before she even finishes, nodding. “Yes. But I want a photo, ok? I need to see you, in your apartment.”

Head on his chest, she clings to him, and Alec lets her.

“You can stay, if you want.”

“No, I-” she pulls back, wiping her eyes “-I want to go, it’s just-”

She bites her own lip, frustrated, and Alec tucks hair behind her ear.

“I know,” he says. He didn’t want to leave her apartment and he doesn’t want to let her go back to it alone now. “I am too.”

She swallows, flicking her scarf back over her shoulder. “I’m going to walk home. And I’m going to be fine.”

“Yeah. You are,” he says.

She nods again. Her spine bearing the weight of her trauma like it’s no more choosing to be confident, she straightens up, shoulders relaxed and eyes meeting his, fierce and sure. “Ok.”

She will survive this.

“Anywho, I didn’t mean to _interrupt_,” Izzy says, suddenly louder. She skips a few steps in returning to their normal teasing, but Alec lets it be as she heads back towards the front door. “Or get in the way. Pretend I was never here.”

He rolls his eyes. “I won’t be thinking about anything except you until I know you’re home safe, Iz.”

“If you say so,” she says. “You might get… distracted.”

Alec raises an eyebrow; she blinks, her innocence entirely pretence.

“What?”

“Isabelle.”

She grins, and rises up on her toes to kiss his cheek, the faintest trace of sincerity enough to sound wholly so. “Have fun, Alec. I’ll text you when I’m in my apartment.”

Holding the door open for her, Alec watches as she stops just before she walks through.

Her attempts at keeping the fear from overwhelming are painful and obvious- she's shaking, hands clenched into fists- but she meets his eye with that same defiance, and he has to be calm for her.

“I love you.”

“I love you too,” he says, and she wiggles her fingers at him as she forces herself to walk, turning down the corridor- and Alec closes the door slowly, forcing himself not to watch her go.

Resting his forehead against the wood, head tilted forwards, Alec manages his own heart rate.

“Raphael’s keeping an eye on her for the next couple of weeks.” The bedroom door’s open, and Magnus is stood there like he watched their whole conversation, casual and yet not at all. “Nothing will happen to her, I promise.”

Blinking hard, Alec pushes himself off the doorway. He believes Magnus, but that doesn’t make it any easier to cope with the fact that she’s out there, facing monsters in the dark and there’s nothing he can do to help her.

She’s scared and alone and he has to let that be.

When Alec approaches him in the doorway, Magnus takes his hand and kisses the back of it, leading him back to bed.

Under the covers- Alec still in his joggers, Magnus in borrowed boxers- together, Alec has one arm around Magnus and the other relaxed back on the mattress, phone in the palm of his hand.

Magnus buries his face in Alec’s neck, half on top of him. “I like her.”

“Yeah,” Alec says, because everyone does. She’s incredible.

“I’m so, so sorry,” Magnus whispers.

It takes Alec a moment to place where the apology is meant to be applied; he can’t forgive him on Izzy’s behalf, for her pain, but he doesn’t resent Magnus for his own. “I don’t blame you.”

He’s never been able to save everyone. He doesn’t expect Magnus to be able to, either.

About twenty minutes later, Alec’s phone buzzes with a photo- a deliberately unflattering selfie of Izzy in her apartment, tongue stuck out at the camera. He relaxes, typing a quick response- _gorgeous photo, Iz_\- but just as he hits send, she follows herself up with a text.

_You should try. _

He exits the message and locks his phone before Magnus even looks up, but he’s tense and Magnus feels it.

“Is she ok?”

“She’s fine,” Alec says, tossing the phone aside, and Magnus frowns, eyes narrowing at something he sees in Alec’s expression. “I promise, she’s just- pushy.”

“What’s she pushing for?”

Alec swallows. He’s not quite sure how to soften the blow of the magnitude of this. “I want you.”

Magnus’ eyes flick from deep, terrified knowing to a forced smile. “You already have me, Alexander.”

“I don’t- not just tonight. Or tomorrow, or the week, I want-” Alec closes his eyes, can’t bear to see what Magnus wants in his eyes before he hears his choice because that’ll only hurt more “-I’m asking for whatever you’re willing to give.”

“Alexander-”

“I spoke to Luke Garroway about you.”

The detective was investigating a potential child abuse case in the ER, but Alec offered him a cup of coffee in the break room after he’d conducted the preliminary investigation with a social worker. Their conversation was more shared meaningful looks and implied involvement with criminal activity, rather than explicitly spoken, but they continued it days later in his mom’s kitchen in far more words.

Luke didn’t ask how Alec met Magnus, or how Alec knew Magnus helped him. He answered Alec’s questions, his attention acute, and offered his opinion when Alec fell silent.

Magnus blinks, shocked. “How did you-?”

“Clary’s been dating my brother for six years.”

Magnus stares. “Are your siblings dating _every_ person in this city?”

“Just Clary and Simon,” Alec says, and he honestly can’t believe the luck of it, and yet, it was inevitable they have so many ties to each other. Izzy only met Simon because he’s Clary’s best friend. “Look, he said to me- he said he’d trust you with Clary’s life.”

“That trust is misplaced, Lucian must know I couldn’t keep her safe.” Magnus stares, clearly trying not to panic, pushing back to kneeling on the bed. “_I can’t keep you safe,_ Alexander, I can’t promise that-”

“I _know_,” Alec says, following him up, taking his wrists and keeping him close. “I do know that, I- Magnus. I know the choices I’m making.”

“You _can’t_-”

“I can’t save you, either,” Alec says, knowing his eyes are suddenly too bright with tears but he keeps his focus on Magnus, who’s faltering with confusion and worry. “I want to, but I can’t.”

Even trying to would be an act of violence. Brooklyn needs his life and as long as Magnus is willing to give it, Alec can’t save him.

“Alexander-”

“Stay with me,” Alec says, and he’s begging but he’s not above that. “Please, Magnus.”

Magnus needs to want it enough- he has to want it like Alec does or the pain it might cause won’t be near worth it- but Alec doesn’t know if he does. He hasn’t ever explicitly said what he wants, and he’s never said he wants Alec for anything more than they've already had.

In some ways, it doesn’t matter. If Magnus asks for help Alec will give it no matter what transpires between them now. But, in others...

Alec wants to be someone Magnus might love.

Tears spilling down his cheeks, Magnus doesn’t say anything, but he does nod.

Even as he’s reaching out Alec pulls him in and embraces him, holding him tight as Magnus sobs. He’s not sure if Magnus is feeling relief or fear or grief, but Alec just rocks him gently and kisses his hair, telling him it’s ok when he apologises, crying until he exhausts himself and can’t anymore.

Getting back under the covers together, Magnus’ head under Alec’s chin, there’s not much left to say. Alec kisses his forehead as he feels Magnus’ breathing slow, on the brink of sleep, and lets himself fall too.

***

The alarm shocks him and he gropes in the dark for his too-loud phone, shutting it up and rolling onto his back, rubbing his forehead. His shifts make him feel jetlagged, long hours at weird times, and he only remembers the day before through it as his hand falls onto the empty space next to him in bed.

Pushing himself up on his forearms, adjusting to the dark, there’s a noise somewhere in his apartment and he gets out of bed, investigating it.

The living room’s dark but the kitchen’s still glowing with lamplight from the night before. Their clothes are neatly folded and stacked on the coffee table, and Magnus is making himself a drink, and he smiles tiredly when he sees Alec approach him.

“Is it still too early to say ‘good morning’?”

“No,” Alec says, taking the teasing with overly-acted narrowing eyes.

Leading Alec in by a hand on his elbow, Magnus kisses him. “Then good morning, Alexander.”

Alec bites his lip and tries to hold back his blush; Magnus lilts the phrase like he’s flirting, effortless and as lacking in investment as the day they met, but his gaze doesn’t waver and it’s only when Alec thinks the word ‘devotion’ he understands what he’s seeing in Magnus’ eyes.

Seeing Alec struggle against his own smile only makes Magnus’ warm, and it’s an exchange that makes Alec huff a laugh for no real reason and kiss him again.

“Good morning, Magnus,” Alec says, the back of his fingers stroking his cheek. “How are you? After last night.”

Magnus considers, thoughtful. “I... don’t know. Is that strange of me?”

“No,” Alec says. “I don’t really know, either. Yesterday was a lot.”

“It was.” Magnus hesitates, about to speak, and then shakes his head slightly at himself and holds it back. “Anyway. You probably need to get ready, don’t you?”

“Kinda, yeah,” Alec admits, because his supervisor’s still watching him closely and he’s never been late before and this is not the time for his first.

Showered and dressed, they leave together- but it’s barely four in the morning and people are still walking home from bars and parties for New Year’s, stumbling and giggling and singing- and it’s strange to be thinking about breakfast with that in the background, so they tuck themselves inside the doorway.

Sheltered from the exuberance outside, Magnus wraps his arms around Alec’s shoulders, and Alec’s hands slide inside his jacket and settle on his waist.

“Do you want to get- dinner, or something? With me?”

Magnus shakes his head, amused by something, but he only kisses Alec’s cheek and steps back. “Yes.”

“Ok. Good.”

It’s unbearably ordinary, standing like this, neither of them quite able to walk away. They know they will, eventually.

But not quite yet.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for giving this story so much love; it's probably more than I deserve.


End file.
